The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for mounting solar panels and other roof top equipment to a roof. For the purpose of this disclosure the term solar panel refers to devices that collect energy from the sun, for example, a solar photovoltaic (PV) panel or solar hot water heater panel.
Typically, solar panels can be mounted to shingle, metal, or tile roofs using a mounting system that includes rails for supporting one or more solar panels and brackets for holding solar panels to the roof. The mounting systems are often coupled with flashing plates or other water proofing provisions for preventing water from penetrating the roof sheeting.
Using rails for mounting solar panels requires the cost of purchasing and transporting the rails as well as the labor cost of installing and cutting the rails on site. In addition, long lengths or rails are susceptible to thermal expansion and contraction. For example, a 100 ft. (30.48 m) length of aluminum rail can expand or contract 1.5 in (0.038 m) over a seasonal variation of 100 F (54.5 C) typical in many regions of the world. This may cause damage to the solar panel-mounting system including buckling of components and detachment of mounting bolts.